


I Put Up Barriers To Shield My Emotions

by CaptainLeBubbles



Series: The Hallmarks of a Family (Hallmarks AU) [19]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Moving, tai can see right through roman and roman hates it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23529721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainLeBubbles/pseuds/CaptainLeBubbles
Summary: Roman helps Tai move some of their furniture over to the new house, and gets a little alone time out of the deal.Or, Tai calls Roman on some of his recent bullshit.
Relationships: Roman Torchwick & Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: The Hallmarks of a Family (Hallmarks AU) [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1200967
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	I Put Up Barriers To Shield My Emotions

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally slated as the final short, but it didn't bridge with my plans properly, so there's one more left after this one. I know y'all are getting tired of these and want to get to the real story, but we're nearly there! And I promise I'm as ready as y'all are.

-/-

Moving day for the joint Xiao Long-Branwen-Ironwood household was just before school started, but even after officially moving in, the families still took a few more days to get their nonessential things moved over to the new house. This was made harder by Qrow’s truck breaking down halfway through; Tai’s van was able to pack things in, but it did make hauling bigger things like furniture difficult.

(Qrow’s annoyance over losing his truck for a few weeks right when school was letting back in smoothed over somewhat when James volunteered for chauffeur duty. He was still annoyed, but less so.)

But that was no problem. As soon as Tai mentioned this to Roman, he offered his own services in aid.

“You have a truck?”

“My bike isn’t always the most practical form of transportation,” he said. “Sometimes I need something with a roof.”

“Well yeah, obviously, but I wouldn’t have pegged you for having a truck.”

Roman just shrugged. “Trucks are less conspicuous. You want my help or not?”

“Yes, I would really appreciate it. We just need to get the couches and the dining room table moved over.”

“Surprised you’re keeping all of those,” Roman said, following him into the house. “I would have thought Jimmy-boy’s furniture would be better.”

“Well, it’s newer.” Tai beckoned him into the kitchen over to the end of the table. He took hold of the end and waited for Roman to be ready. “But- there’s no reason to get rid of perfectly serviceable furniture. And the new house has space for it.”

“Really.”

Between them, they got the table out the back door, where Roman had his truck parked. They angled it carefully in the bed of the pickup and straightened.

“We’re putting this table in the kitchen and James’ table in the dining room, and the little table in James’ old dining room, plus the couch and loveseat from our living room, is going up on the upstairs landing for the girls to use.”

“Jesus Christ, how big is this house?”

“Big.”

They were at the love seat now; the conversation paused while they lifted it, carrying it between them through the kitchen and out to the truck. Once they’d gotten it situated against the table, Roman sat down on one of the patio chairs to catch his breath. Tai grabbed the other; he didn’t look particularly winded himself, but Roman supposed he wouldn’t.

“How’s your knee?” Tai asked. “I didn’t even think to ask- is it okay for you to be doing this kind of thing?”

“It’s fine. It’s not bothering me today, I’ll just. Take it easy tomorrow, give it some rest.”

“If you’re sure. Don’t overdo things on my account.”

Roman gave him a sideways look, and a small smile. “Thanks. But it’s fine.” He leaned back in his chair. “Tell me more about the house. How big are we talking?”

“Four upstairs bedrooms plus two downstairs bedrooms, an office, a separate dining room, a small room back of the garage, the upstairs landing is bigger than any of the bedrooms, and the attic is fixtured and carpeted. The back yard is huge, there’s an outbuilding we’re not  _ entirely _ sure what to do with, and woods on all three sides so the girls can have some privacy from the neighbors.”

Roman let out a low whistle. “Can you guys afford a place like that?”

“James can. Apparently.”

He looked disgruntled enough that Roman smirked. “Rich boy carrying the lion’s share?” he guessed. “You’re okay with that?”

Tai shrugged. “I’m… more okay than I was. I mean, it’s relative, right? James inherited his father’s fortune, money isn’t something he has to worry about. For him this is, you know, pocket change.”

“Then why do you sound like ‘more okay than you were’ isn’t the same as ‘okay’?”

Tai laughed. “Honestly? It’s a pride thing. I’d like to think I can provide for my own family. But we… sorted things out. We found something that worked. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not a situation where I’m  _ not _ comfortable. It just rankles a bit that I’m not able to provide for my family as readily as James is.”

“Well, that’s stupid.”

“Thanks.”

“No, it is. You’re providing for your family just fine, but your family is a lot bigger now. Your needs have expanded beyond what a single person’s income can manage. And if the boy scout has the resources ready to make up the new difference, then your pride isn’t in danger. Besides, you have more to offer your family than just money, which if I wasn’t in truce mode with Jimmy-boy I’d say is more than he can say.”

“Roman.”

“Yeah yeah, I know, I’m working on it.” He huffed. “He’s just such an  _ asshole.” _

Tai snorted. “Um, kettle?”

_ “I _ am an asshole on purpose. He just  _ is _ one. There’s a difference.”

“If you say so.”

“It’s subtle, but it’s there.”

“Well,  _ I _ think you two have more in common than you realize.” Tai stood. “Ready to get the last sofa, or do you want to rest a bit longer?”

“No, I can manage it.”

-/-

Between the two of them, they managed to get the last sofa loaded, and the two patio chairs as well, which was the last of the furniture that needed to be moved from the old house. While Tai strapped everything down, Roman wandered into the house and stood in the big doorway between kitchen and living room, staring at the tiny house that suddenly seemed far too big.

While he was standing there, Tai came up to join him.

“Lotta memories in this place,” Tai said, and Roman hummed an affirmative. Tai followed his gaze, and his eyes landed on the growth marks along the doorframe. He laughed. “Guess we’ll have to start over in the new house.”

“You changed Mercury’s name on the list,” Roman said, reaching over to touch one of the old marks. Each instance of Mercury’s name was written over a smudge of badly erased graphite, a darker spot on the white paint.

“That was Ruby’s idea,” Tai said. “After we found out… well, she was right, it wouldn’t have been fair.”

Roman said nothing for a long moment, then shook his head. “We should get going.”

“Uh… sure.”

-/-

James was the only one home when they got there, it being Friday and Qrow and the girls still at school. He and Tai unloaded the furniture and got it inside, while Roman followed them around, propped up on his cane watching them move the heavy furniture.

Once they got it upstairs, they set the furniture in the landing room to be arranged later, and the three men headed back downstairs.

“Thanks for your help,” Tai told Roman.

James added, “Yes, I particularly appreciated the part where you stood there watching us while we did all of the actual heavy lifting.”

“Don’t flatter yourself boy scout, I wasn’t watching  _ you.” _ Roman turned to loop his arm through Tai’s. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride back to the old house so you can pick up your van.”

-/-

“You know,” Tai said, about halfway back to the old house. “It occurs to me I could have driven the van back myself, instead of riding back with you. Then you wouldn’t have had to drive all the way back to drop me off.”

“I don’t mind. I like spending time with you. Especially when you don’t have any of those gremlins around.”

“You know, you don’t have to pretend you don’t like my kids when we’re alone. It’s me, Roman.”

“I don’t  _ like _ your kids, I put up with them because they’re your price of admission.”

“You and I both know that stopped being true years ago.”

“Prove it.”

“I don’t  _ have _ to prove it, I  _ know _ you.”

Roman huffed. “You don’t know shit about me.”

Tai rolled his eyes. “I don’t know  _ trivia. _ But I know  _ you, _ I know what kind of person you are. I know you wouldn’t put up with my kids if you didn’t like them, no matter how much it’s required so you can hang out with me. You didn’t have to teach Ruby self defense or help Yang with her make up or get Nora to talk to Qrow about the dad thing. You don’t have to indulge their games or play at being nemeses just to be around me, all you have to do is not treat them  _ badly. _ You go way beyond what’s actually required because this stopped being about  _ me _ and  _ us _ ages ago. You do those things because you care about them, and I just- I guess I don’t see why you have to pretend otherwise. It’s  _ me, _ Roman. You can relax here. You don’t have to be on the defensive all the time.”

They’d reached the old house. Roman pulled into the driveway beside Tai’s van and put the truck in park, and sat for a long moment staring at the steering wheel.

“Roman…?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he told the steering wheel in a dead, dull sort of voice. “You’ve got it into your head that I’m this- this marshmallow of a guy trying to be tough. You’re wrong.”

“No,  _ you’re _ wrong,” Tai said, a sad little laugh coloring his words. “I don’t think you’re a soft guy trying to be tough. I think you’re a tough guy who craves the chance to be soft.” He reached across the cab and rested his fingertips against Roman’s arm. “Look, I care about you, that’s all. I want you to feel safe enough to be soft with me.”

Roman glanced down at Tai’s hand, and sighed. He brushed his bangs back (pointlessly) and turned what Tai thought of as his bullshit grin on him. “Whatever you need to think to keep me in your good graces, I guess.”

“Okay Roman.” Tai let his hand fall. “If you say so. Look, I gotta get going. I’ll see you around, all right?”

“Yeah. All right.”

-/-

**Author's Note:**

> Like all of the houses I use for my settings, this one is based on a house that actually exists! I've tweaked it in places to suit my needs, but the house in question did indeed have an upstairs landing that functioned as a room in its own right, and when I was trying to decide which house to base the new house on, that landing hit me as having some potential to give the kids a neutral, non-bedroom space to hang out away from their parents. The house also had a room in the garage that was likely meant to be a storage room; however, said room suits other needs I have. More on that later.
> 
> I could not begin to explain the layout of this house; I got lost every time I walked into it, and it's been a couple years since I've been in it. (I still have a better idea of the layout than I did for the previous Ironwood house, though.)


End file.
